Elizabeth Goodspeed
@goodspeed.bsky.social
Independent designer, writer, trend spotter, & casual archivist (she/her)
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
“If the goal is to prove something wasn’t made by AI, faking ‘realness’ on a computer doesn’t really get us anywhere new.
[…]
What’s being described as an ‘analogue revival’ is less a material shift than a semiotic one.”👇
[…]
What’s being described as an ‘analogue revival’ is less a material shift than a semiotic one.”👇
My first @its-nice-that.bsky.social column of the year is about faking imperfection (fauxbi-sabi) and what it means to have a resurgence of analog aesthetics without analog tools 📷
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Elizabeth Goodspeed on the limits of imperfection as a design strategy
As AI and digital tools make polish effortless, analogue imperfection has taken on new cultural weight. But what does “analogue” actually mean when most things are made, shared, and consumed digitally...
www.itsnicethat.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:36 AM
“If the goal is to prove something wasn’t made by AI, faking ‘realness’ on a computer doesn’t really get us anywhere new.
[…]
What’s being described as an ‘analogue revival’ is less a material shift than a semiotic one.”👇
[…]
What’s being described as an ‘analogue revival’ is less a material shift than a semiotic one.”👇
My first @its-nice-that.bsky.social column of the year is about faking imperfection (fauxbi-sabi) and what it means to have a resurgence of analog aesthetics without analog tools 📷
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Elizabeth Goodspeed on the limits of imperfection as a design strategy
As AI and digital tools make polish effortless, analogue imperfection has taken on new cultural weight. But what does “analogue” actually mean when most things are made, shared, and consumed digitally...
www.itsnicethat.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:33 PM
My first @its-nice-that.bsky.social column of the year is about faking imperfection (fauxbi-sabi) and what it means to have a resurgence of analog aesthetics without analog tools 📷
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Thank you to Works But Makes Noises for having me on their podcast! Topics discussed include: what design school doesn’t teach, my scanner, archives versus mood boards, folk packaging, trend reports vs. in–out lists, and writing as a way of thinking → podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Special Guest Elizabeth Goodspeed on Design Education, Experimental Branding, Weird References, and Archiving Everything
Podcast Episode · Works But Makes Noises · 01/26/2026 · 1h 5m
podcasts.apple.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Thank you to Works But Makes Noises for having me on their podcast! Topics discussed include: what design school doesn’t teach, my scanner, archives versus mood boards, folk packaging, trend reports vs. in–out lists, and writing as a way of thinking → podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
We watched John Carpenter's "They Live" recently and I'm gobsmacked that no one has recommended it to me before. Twilight Zone if it included a 10 minute wrestling scene and more people getting drop-kicked out of windows. And, of course, SO much Futura. Perfect movie, 10/10.
January 26, 2026 at 9:44 PM
We watched John Carpenter's "They Live" recently and I'm gobsmacked that no one has recommended it to me before. Twilight Zone if it included a 10 minute wrestling scene and more people getting drop-kicked out of windows. And, of course, SO much Futura. Perfect movie, 10/10.
One small step for advertising; new Casual Archivist issue about proto-virality and 1960s moonvertising 🌝
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11
One Small Step for Advertising
Today’s collection is a series of moon-themed ads from 1969-ish. I found these via my local library book sale, which is put on twice a year by a group of chatty octogenarians (plus one sprightly fifty...
casualarchivist.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:04 PM
One small step for advertising; new Casual Archivist issue about proto-virality and 1960s moonvertising 🌝
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
🌙🚀 One Small Step for Advertising
by Elizabeth Goodspeed @goodspeed.bsky.social
Moon-themed ads from the 60s.
+ The E. F. Caldwell & Co. Collection at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Library
#ads #vintage #Ephemera
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11?...
by Elizabeth Goodspeed @goodspeed.bsky.social
Moon-themed ads from the 60s.
+ The E. F. Caldwell & Co. Collection at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Library
#ads #vintage #Ephemera
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11?...
January 21, 2026 at 1:08 PM
🌙🚀 One Small Step for Advertising
by Elizabeth Goodspeed @goodspeed.bsky.social
Moon-themed ads from the 60s.
+ The E. F. Caldwell & Co. Collection at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Library
#ads #vintage #Ephemera
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11?...
by Elizabeth Goodspeed @goodspeed.bsky.social
Moon-themed ads from the 60s.
+ The E. F. Caldwell & Co. Collection at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Library
#ads #vintage #Ephemera
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/apollo-11?...
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
Great look at the distinct design of one of the goofiest board games of the year.
Magical Athlete — Elizabeth Goodspeed
elizabethgoodspeed.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Great look at the distinct design of one of the goofiest board games of the year.
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
Responding to @goodspeed.bsky.social timely op-ed in The Architect's Newspaper about how rebranding some websites is a problem in search of a solution www.archpaper.com/2025/12/nati...
www.archpaper.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Responding to @goodspeed.bsky.social timely op-ed in The Architect's Newspaper about how rebranding some websites is a problem in search of a solution www.archpaper.com/2025/12/nati...
I wrote a piece for @archpaper.com about 18F, the National Design Studio, and the insidiousness of “rebranding” government services instead of improving them. Thanks to my editors for letting me use the phrase “tread on me daddy” in an architecture publication 🫡
www.archpaper.com/2025/12/nati...
www.archpaper.com/2025/12/nati...
www.archpaper.com
December 15, 2025 at 12:51 AM
I wrote a piece for @archpaper.com about 18F, the National Design Studio, and the insidiousness of “rebranding” government services instead of improving them. Thanks to my editors for letting me use the phrase “tread on me daddy” in an architecture publication 🫡
www.archpaper.com/2025/12/nati...
www.archpaper.com/2025/12/nati...
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
I like this a lot.
@blackfreelance.bsky.social this is about designers but might be of interest to you.
@blackfreelance.bsky.social this is about designers but might be of interest to you.
How many designers does it take to be a studio? I wrote about how "studio" has shifted from structural descriptor to signal; shorthand for how a practice wants to be read. But as "studio" stops signaling size + authority, do mythologies around growth collapse too? www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Elizabeth Goodspeed on how many designers it takes to make a studio
The question of what counts as a “studio” – and what you call one – reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale.
www.itsnicethat.com
December 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
I like this a lot.
@blackfreelance.bsky.social this is about designers but might be of interest to you.
@blackfreelance.bsky.social this is about designers but might be of interest to you.
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
🥭 Elizabeth @goodspeed.bsky.social on how many #designers it takes to make a #studio
#itsnicethat
The question of what counts as a “studio” – and what you call one – reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale.
#design
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
#itsnicethat
The question of what counts as a “studio” – and what you call one – reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale.
#design
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
December 12, 2025 at 2:52 PM
🥭 Elizabeth @goodspeed.bsky.social on how many #designers it takes to make a #studio
#itsnicethat
The question of what counts as a “studio” – and what you call one – reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale.
#design
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
#itsnicethat
The question of what counts as a “studio” – and what you call one – reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale.
#design
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
⚫ Signs of Life
by @goodspeed.bsky.social
at #SunsetOverSunset
Signs are actors. Some are wallflowers, barely speaking above a whisper, while others shout and flirt, beckoning for attention.
#sign #design
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
by @goodspeed.bsky.social
at #SunsetOverSunset
Signs are actors. Some are wallflowers, barely speaking above a whisper, while others shout and flirt, beckoning for attention.
#sign #design
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
December 12, 2025 at 4:18 PM
⚫ Signs of Life
by @goodspeed.bsky.social
at #SunsetOverSunset
Signs are actors. Some are wallflowers, barely speaking above a whisper, while others shout and flirt, beckoning for attention.
#sign #design
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
by @goodspeed.bsky.social
at #SunsetOverSunset
Signs are actors. Some are wallflowers, barely speaking above a whisper, while others shout and flirt, beckoning for attention.
#sign #design
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
“the United States is a lot more generous to corporations than it is to people”
I’ve written about why I’m an S-corp as a freelancer, but this is the distillation of it all
We find safety and security in numbers…and as corporations
I’ve written about why I’m an S-corp as a freelancer, but this is the distillation of it all
We find safety and security in numbers…and as corporations
How many designers does it take to be a studio? I wrote about how "studio" has shifted from structural descriptor to signal; shorthand for how a practice wants to be read. But as "studio" stops signaling size + authority, do mythologies around growth collapse too? www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Elizabeth Goodspeed on how many designers it takes to make a studio
The question of what counts as a “studio” – and what you call one – reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale.
www.itsnicethat.com
December 13, 2025 at 7:13 PM
“the United States is a lot more generous to corporations than it is to people”
I’ve written about why I’m an S-corp as a freelancer, but this is the distillation of it all
We find safety and security in numbers…and as corporations
I’ve written about why I’m an S-corp as a freelancer, but this is the distillation of it all
We find safety and security in numbers…and as corporations
I collaborated with CMYK and Angela Kirkwood on the redesign of cult classic game Magical Athlete! I worked on the brand identity, art direction, and all the graphic design for components like cards & tokens. Now ask me how much math I had to do to make an evenly spaced game board with 31 spaces...
December 8, 2025 at 8:37 PM
I collaborated with CMYK and Angela Kirkwood on the redesign of cult classic game Magical Athlete! I worked on the brand identity, art direction, and all the graphic design for components like cards & tokens. Now ask me how much math I had to do to make an evenly spaced game board with 31 spaces...
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
Elizabeth Goodspeed reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale. https://ow.ly/xTc150XBTmR
December 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Elizabeth Goodspeed reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale. https://ow.ly/xTc150XBTmR
How many designers does it take to be a studio? I wrote about how "studio" has shifted from structural descriptor to signal; shorthand for how a practice wants to be read. But as "studio" stops signaling size + authority, do mythologies around growth collapse too? www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Elizabeth Goodspeed on how many designers it takes to make a studio
The question of what counts as a “studio” – and what you call one – reveals the industry’s ongoing tension around identity, ambition and scale.
www.itsnicethat.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:22 PM
How many designers does it take to be a studio? I wrote about how "studio" has shifted from structural descriptor to signal; shorthand for how a practice wants to be read. But as "studio" stops signaling size + authority, do mythologies around growth collapse too? www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
I wrote about the changing typographic landscape of Sunset Strip as seen through Ed Ruscha’s photos of the street from 1965-2007. Published on Sunset Over Sunset, a new website from @gettymuseum.bsky.social that explores different stories of urban LA history 🪧 www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
Sunset Over Sunset
Explore the histories of Los Angeles's iconic Sunset Boulevard through the photographs of artist Ed Ruscha.
www.sunsetoversunset.org
December 1, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I wrote about the changing typographic landscape of Sunset Strip as seen through Ed Ruscha’s photos of the street from 1965-2007. Published on Sunset Over Sunset, a new website from @gettymuseum.bsky.social that explores different stories of urban LA history 🪧 www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
🚂 All Aboard!
Casual Archivist by @goodspeed.bsky.social
Guest: Vedad Siljak
Tyco Toys
* Fonts In Use @[email protected]
#Ephemera #Typography #VedadSiljak
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/all-aboard
Casual Archivist by @goodspeed.bsky.social
Guest: Vedad Siljak
Tyco Toys
* Fonts In Use @[email protected]
#Ephemera #Typography #VedadSiljak
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/all-aboard
November 13, 2025 at 12:25 AM
🚂 All Aboard!
Casual Archivist by @goodspeed.bsky.social
Guest: Vedad Siljak
Tyco Toys
* Fonts In Use @[email protected]
#Ephemera #Typography #VedadSiljak
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/all-aboard
Casual Archivist by @goodspeed.bsky.social
Guest: Vedad Siljak
Tyco Toys
* Fonts In Use @[email protected]
#Ephemera #Typography #VedadSiljak
casualarchivist.substack.com/p/all-aboard
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
LA palette cleanse: really great graphic design deep dive into the Ruscha Sunset archive by @goodspeed.bsky.social focusing on the evolution of the signage
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
Sunset Over Sunset
Explore the histories of Los Angeles's iconic Sunset Boulevard through the photographs of artist Ed Ruscha.
www.sunsetoversunset.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:52 AM
LA palette cleanse: really great graphic design deep dive into the Ruscha Sunset archive by @goodspeed.bsky.social focusing on the evolution of the signage
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
www.sunsetoversunset.org/stories/signs
Thank you to the folks at the @flickrfdn.bsky.social for asking me some truly fantastic questions about archiving, the ephemeral nature of digital archiving, and what I've learned from working with Brits. (As ever, Flickr remains the best website on the internet!!!) www.flickr.org/a-chat-with-...
A chat with Elizabeth Goodspeed, Casual Archivst - Flickr Foundation
www.flickr.org
November 3, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Thank you to the folks at the @flickrfdn.bsky.social for asking me some truly fantastic questions about archiving, the ephemeral nature of digital archiving, and what I've learned from working with Brits. (As ever, Flickr remains the best website on the internet!!!) www.flickr.org/a-chat-with-...
Brand designers love the control, originality and ownership of making their own fonts. But how is custom type reshaping the culture and economy of type design itself? I wrote about why so many design studios are creating fonts and what it means for the rest of us! www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Elizabeth Goodspeed on why design studios are making fonts
Custom type has become branding’s newest obsession, promising control, originality, and ownership – but its rapid rise is reshaping the culture and economy of type design itself.
www.itsnicethat.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Brand designers love the control, originality and ownership of making their own fonts. But how is custom type reshaping the culture and economy of type design itself? I wrote about why so many design studios are creating fonts and what it means for the rest of us! www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
Elizabeth Goodspeed on why custom type has become branding’s newest obsession. https://ow.ly/zBwn50XgWpQ
October 23, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Elizabeth Goodspeed on why custom type has become branding’s newest obsession. https://ow.ly/zBwn50XgWpQ
Reposted by Elizabeth Goodspeed
September 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I spoke alongside Pablo Rochat at Air's inaugural creative summit "Age of Aquarius"—we talked about about craft vs. creativity, the early AI ~*fever dream*~ aesthetic, and why actually making stuff still matters! Recorded here → youtu.be/F0QWo8R_jA0
AI, Taste & Making Stuff That Matters — Pablo Rochat x Elizabeth Goodspeed (Live at On Air)
YouTube video by Air
youtu.be
October 2, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I spoke alongside Pablo Rochat at Air's inaugural creative summit "Age of Aquarius"—we talked about about craft vs. creativity, the early AI ~*fever dream*~ aesthetic, and why actually making stuff still matters! Recorded here → youtu.be/F0QWo8R_jA0
My newest column for @its-nice-that.bsky.social is about the rise of pre-fab brand kits, "move fast and break things," and how identity is often starting to matter more than product! ⏱️ www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...
Elizabeth Goodspeed on what happens when design becomes prefab
Designer-led platforms promise to let you make money from unused concepts. But as off-the-shelf brand identities become the norm, designers risk losing the equity, authorship, and evolution that come ...
www.itsnicethat.com
September 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
My newest column for @its-nice-that.bsky.social is about the rise of pre-fab brand kits, "move fast and break things," and how identity is often starting to matter more than product! ⏱️ www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eli...